Posted on: 01/31/2014A team of scientists and engineers at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a code that they say can help lithium-ion battery developers determine the viability of new materials—and are offering free access to it.

The code can be used to determine the optimal profile needed to charge a lithium-ion battery, as well as any stresses that might be put on a specific material. The initial data generated are intended to help researchers avoid investing time and money on materials that would not prove feasible.

The code is designed for a Windows platform. Funding for the work was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency and the McDonnell International Scholar Academy at Washington University in St. Louis.